This year's Christmas and winter break will be an unprecedented test for Manchester City.
This is recognized worldwide.
Although the Champions League has not yet started, the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup matches all converge in January. This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for Manchester City, especially when they drew Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup.
Down.
Just after Christmas, the devilish schedule met Manchester United in the FA Cup. After playing Manchester United, it was immediately time to play the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool and visit Anfield Stadium.
Gao Shen specially held a team meeting before the team set off for Liverpool.
Mubarak also made a special trip to Carrington to attend and announced the management's resolution and issued a more significant reward than last season, motivating everyone to continue their efforts and strive to achieve good results on all fronts.
Gao Shen also encouraged everyone to grit their teeth and get through this most difficult period.
"Believe me, guys, when you realize the difficulties, it proves that you are already at the door of progress."
"Next, what you need to do is to muster up the courage, make up your mind, take steps, and cross it!"
…
At Anfield, Manchester City encountered Liverpool's tenacious sniper attack.
Over the years, Benitez's team has always relied on Biglia, Mascherano and Gerrard as the iron triangle, and it remains unchanged.
It can be said that the midfielder ensures Liverpool's lower limit.
But the biggest problem with this team is the upper limit, which is where Torres has a problem.
Injuries have made it difficult for the Spanish center to maintain his form, and his performance has been greatly reduced compared to his peak period.
Now, many Liverpool fans are regretting that they should have sold him to Chelsea earlier. In this way, Liverpool could spare funds to introduce a better center forward.
But there is no regret medicine in this world.
However, the so-called offense is not strong enough, but that is relative.
The teams trained by Benitez have never been good at it.
At Anfield, quite successfully took the initiative and scored the first goal in the 22nd minute of the first half.
Not long after, Liverpool equalized the score through Gerrard.
After changing sides in the second half, Van Persie received a cross from the left and scored again, taking the lead again.
But just seven minutes later, Bellamy equalized the score again for Liverpool.
Two to two, the two sides finally shook hands and made peace.
The whole game was lackluster and not smooth at all.
This is partly due to Liverpool's tactics, but more importantly, it is Manchester City's ups and downs.
After continuous hard battles like this, no matter how strong Manchester City's lineup is, they will eventually get tired.
Especially during the winter break.
If it were any other team, it would have collapsed long ago.
…
After returning from Liverpool, Manchester City had no time to rest at all.
Gao Shen had a feeling that the team came back to replenish ammunition, reorganize the lineup, and then set off again.
This time it's an away game against Wigan Athletic.
Roberto Martinez was well prepared at home. He was well aware of Manchester City's current difficult situation, so he decided to add insult to injury and fight a war of attrition with Manchester City.
If this were normal, there would really be nothing to be afraid of.
But in this current season, it is really critical for Manchester City.
Gao Shen is also very aware of the team's current situation, so he has no intention of confronting his opponents.
He chose to attack from the very beginning.
This is Gao Shen's specialty.
In just three minutes, David Silva assisted Suarez and scored a goal.
What about other times?
Manchester City is in trouble.
It can't be said that it's just Gou. Anyway, it's just to retreat, slowly control the ball, and let Wigan Athletic press out and play.
This made Roberto Martinez vomit blood.
Press it out?
Can you defend yourself later?
If we don't push it out, we will fall behind, buddy.
In this complicated entanglement, the game time was exhausted.
One to zero, Manchester City clung to a victory.
…
Surprisingly, the British media sang praises for Manchester City's victory.
Because Gao Shen will compete in this game with a residual formation.
Except for the central axis of David Silva, Suarez, and Kompany, all others have undergone major rotations, and all players have been given a chance to rest and breathe.
Even the likes of Gareth Bale and Robben were given a few days off to rest.
This is not a whim, but a decision made together with the coaching staff, especially Buenaventura and Pintus, and the reports of psychological experts.
Moreover, after playing Wigan Athletic, Manchester City will face Tottenham Hotspur.
This will be another hard fight.
After surviving Tottenham Hotspur, it was the second leg against Liverpool, the decisive battle.
What is even more unbelievable is that in the fourth round draw of the FA Cup, Manchester City was drawn against Liverpool.
Yes, after playing Liverpool in the League Cup, they played Liverpool again in the FA Cup.
Also, Manchester City still has a make-up match against Arsenal that they haven’t played yet, and the schedule hasn’t been set yet!
Is there anything more devastating than this?
It can be said that throughout January, Manchester City has been playing against strong teams.
This kind of suffocating pressure is really devastating.
Not to mention the players, Gao Shen was a little out of breath.
He can only relax when he returns home and sees his wife every night.
He finally understands now why no team in the Premier League can win the quadruple crown.
Because the two cup competitions are really terrible!
Not to mention, these two cup competitions have taken a breath of relief, and the Champions League knockout round of 16 will soon begin again.
"I feel like my brain is not strong enough now. I have to consider both the medium and long term as well as the immediate future. I have to pay attention to every game and play well in every game. It's really unbearable!"
After finishing speaking, Gao Shen let out a heavy breath.
The main thing is physical fitness and condition.
If it were a group of robots, then Gao Shen wouldn't have any worries in this regard.
Both Mubarak and Gary Cook are very supportive of Gao Shen and the team, so now they are focused on the game.
It is conceivable that if Manchester City's management makes any trouble at this time, the team will collapse immediately.
Su Qing knows Gao Shen very well. She knows that Gao Shen just complains and complains.
It's impossible for him to give up!
At this point, he must persist to the end no matter what.
She stood behind Gao Shen, gently rubbing her temples for him, "It's hard work, but from now on, you have to go home on time to eat every day, come back after work, get more rest, go to bed early and get up early every morning.
Go out for a run with me in the park."
"Ah?" Gao Shen was quite surprised.
what's the situation?
"Our parents have already made harsh words. If we don't get pregnant, they will no longer help us take care of our children."
"What? Just them?" Gao Shen was amused by this sudden sentence.
Gao Shen believes that other parents in the world don't want to molest their grandchildren, but his parents don't want to, that's impossible.
I don’t know how many times I have urged them, and they kept nagging me every time. Even the most outrageous one was when they even carefully hinted to Gao Shen and Su Qing whether they should go to the hospital for a check-up?
Damn it!
We don’t want it, it’s not that we can’t, okay?
"My father and mother also mean the same thing. They all want us to have children as soon as possible, and then they will take turns to retire." Su Qing also found it interesting.
Retirement in rotation?
This is a new word.
In fact, it means taking turns to help take care of the children.
The two old couples just couldn't bear to part with the company in China. Although there were managers watching over them, they still felt uneasy and had to keep an eye on them. They said they felt more at ease when they had their own people watching over them.
"Then what do you mean?" Gao Shen turned his head slightly, stretched out his hand to hold her catkins, and asked amusingly.
"They urge us, so let's just give birth. Besides, we're already thirty-one, so we can't become older mothers, right?"
She was startled when she saw Gao Shen about to jump up, and held him down with a giggle, "Mr. Gao, don't act recklessly. Preparing for pregnancy also requires basic methods. You have to take care of your body first. We have to make an appointment...
…ah……"
…
Noon on January 22, Manchester Etihad Stadium.
In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Tottenham Hotspur at home.
When the game reached the 89th minute, Manchester City got a corner kick opportunity in the frontcourt.
However, the placement of this corner kick was not ideal, and it was pushed out by a Tottenham Hotspur player at the front point.
Rescued.
Sky TV's live broadcast cut directly to the sidelines, and found Gao Shen, wearing a black windbreaker, standing on the sidelines, shaking his head helplessly, obviously dissatisfied with the result.
The score now is zero to zero.
Tottenham Hotspur's ability to hold on to this tie is inseparable from the outstanding performance of the two central defenders Kaboul and Ledley King, as well as the outstanding performance of the veteran goalkeeper Friedel.
It also has something to do with the unsatisfactory condition of Manchester City's offensive players.
Tonight, Manchester City made too many mistakes on the pitch.
Just like this time, Henderson passed the ball to Hazard's feet, and the Belgian sent a direct pass.
Van Persie was about to rush forward into the penalty area, but suddenly he knocked Hazard's pass back to Hazard with his heel. As a result, the Belgian did not react and the ball did not stop. Not only did he miss a very good inside cut.
Opportunity, but also lost the ball.
This is no accident.
Situations like this abound in this game.
In the final analysis, there is a problem with the player's condition.
At the 75th minute, Gao Shen replaced Gareth Bale, but the Welshman was closely guarded by Kyle Walker and never had a chance to perform.
It can be said that at this point in the game, the three substitution quotas for Gao Shen and Gao Shen have been used up, and all the available tricks have been used. The players are not in good condition and cannot perform effectively, and there is nothing that can be done.
The only thing is waiting time and consumption.
But time is running out.
The fourth official on the sidelines has already called four minutes of stoppage time.
This extra time is okay, but it's really not much.
Gao Shen walked to the sidelines and encouraged the players to keep applying pressure and not give up.
Especially Gareth Bale, who is on the left side of Hazard, will cause more trouble for Tottenham Hotspur.
